The present invention relates to an effective necktie control device, commonly known as a tie clasp, that is generally hidden to an observer of the wearer thereof. Such device is adapted to be worn by a user wearing a necktie on a collared shirt having a plurality of button holes and complementary buttons to close the shirt. The necktie, typically a four-in-hand type necktie, is an article of wearing apparel that has a generally long and narrow shape with end portions that have different widths. In use it encircles the neck of the wearer, and is tied in a knot adjacent to the neck with the end portions lying flat on the garment of the wearer with the larger end portion covering the smaller.
The purpose of the necktie is principally decorative. The shape during wearing and degree of movement during wearing are of importance to the wearer. The tie is constructed so that the knot, the folds of the material of the tie and the ends all assume and maintain a particular shape and position through long hours of wearing, yet return to the original position and shape upon removal. Of particular importance is that the end portions lie essentially flat, the larger one over the smaller adjacent the garment of the wearer and not freely swing under conditions of wind and wearer motion, and for safety concerns. It is of importance to some wearers that the retention means not be visible from the front.
The control of unwanted movement of the necktie by the user has been a concern for a number of years. The prior art is replete with references to the use of some type of device to achieve such goal. Such prior art is reflected in the following U.S. patents:
a.) No. 5,715,538, to Soil, relates to a necktie securing device for securing to a shirt front a necktie having a tail, an apron and a label, the label being attached to a rear surface of the apron, to a shirt front when the tail is disposed within an opening formed by the label and the apron. The device includes a first clip demountably attachable to the tail and having a first VELCRO material covered joining surface and a second clip demountably attachable to an overlapping edge of the shirt front and having a second joining surface covered by complementary VELCRO material. The second joining surface of the second clip is engageable with the first joining surface of the first clip.
b.) No. 5,007,139, to Ahern, discloses a necktie retainer that restricts movement of the necktie by providing a fill flexure tensor member attached to the upper garment of the wearer, a necktie movement governing length of filamentary material with fill flexure, distributed direct mechanical attachment to each rear folded portion of the larger end of the necktie. The movement restriction is facilitated through the use of a necktie with a cross member and employing a detachable member on the tensor member that for retention uses the cross member width dimension and for attachment and release uses the cross member thickness dimension. The retainer accommodates different garment and necktie constructions does not have parts visible from the front and permits relative movement of the central parts of the necktie.
c.) No. 4,959,889, to Claravino, teaches a totally hidden tie clasp shaped like a safety pin with a sliding pointed tie tack member connected on the rear parallel long member of the pin opposite the front long member so designed so as to securely connect different, or equal, width front and rear pendants of any necktie, in line with each other and then by holding the holding means of the sliding pointed tie tack member connecting them to a wearer's shirt by piercing the rear pendant with the piercing point. Thereafter the entire tie is secured by engaging a tie tack clutch with a connecting means and buttonhole engaging crossbar, yet allowing verticle movement of the rear pendant of the tie for loosening and tightening of said necktie without showing evidence of said verticle movement on the front pendant of said necktie and also allowing adjustment of the distance between the shirt of the wearer and the tie clasp.
d.) No. 4,839,945, to Price et al., relates to an invisible tie tail holder constructed and arranged so as to hold the tail of the tie to the backside of the front of the tie without being able to see it from the front of the tie. It is constructed out of steel wire that is bent into a "c" shape which attaches by the pin grabber mechanism to back of the front of the tie and the tail of the tie is fed through the "c" shape which holds it securely to the back of the front of the tie, and it is so illustrated herein.
e.) No. 3,968,544, to Sinclair, teaches a tie clasp shaped generally like a safety pin and having a shirt link attached to its fixed back member. The novelty lies in so proportioning the clasp that it can be used to receive either the back pendant portion or both pendant portions of a four-in-hand necktie. When used only to receive the back pendant, the clasp is preferably made long enough to receive the usually relatively narrow rear pendant but not so long that it extends to either side of the usually rather broad front pendant, thus making the clasp invisible to an observer facing the wearer. Also when so used, the tie clasp has a forward member with a pointed free end, this member being movable between a closed position and an open position, and while open it is thrust into and then out of the rear fold of the front pendant without going completely through the thickness of the tie, thus securing both pendants while at the same time remaining invisible.
f) No. 3,494,003, to Bower, Jr., discloses a necktie holder which is not outwardly visible and which do not damage the appearance of the tie material surface. The holding means disclosed attach the underneath fold of the outer appearing end of the necktie and the underneath end of the necktie together. The necktie position is then maintained by a connection between the holding means and the front of the shit.
g.) No. 3,400,434, to Pazeotopoulos, relates to a tie holder for holding the folds of a four-in-hand necktie in place including a crook with depending arms joined by a reverse bend with such bend adapted to seat on the threads holding a button on a shirt. Tie fold retaining structure extends transversely of the arms at the base of the crook including clamp bar means for clamping on to the rear fold of the tie and a forwardly located pin for pinning the front fold of the tie and holding such front fold together with the rear fold against said clamp bar means.
h.) No. 2,589,036, to Bender, discloses a tie holder comprising a back gripping member for the small end of a four-in-hand tie and a portion of the front of the wearer's shirt, a front gripping member for holding the large end of the tie in symmetrical shape and for holding the end against the back member, and a two-way bow-spring for alternately holding the front and back members in their open position for receiving the tie ends and in their closed position wherein they hold the tie ends in place.
The present invention differs from the foregoing prior art by the use of a manually activated, spring metal necktie clasping member. The manner by which the device hereof differs will become apparent in the following specification, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.